SAN ANTONIO — UPDATE: Dave has been adopted and has found his forever home after a KENS 5 viewer saw this story posted on Thursday and showed to bring Dave home the very next day.
See previous story below:
This week, we went to the Animal Defense League on Nacogdoches and met a super sweet dog named Dave. He will have been at the ADL now for five years on July 23, after being transferred from the city shelter back in 2018. They believe he is about seven years old.
Dave is an American Staffordshire Terrier mix but honestly, your guess is as good as ours. He has a long fur coat that is soft as can be and an underbite that says there might be some boxer in the mix too. He's a classic 'San Antonio Special' that's a mix of breeds. It's important to let you know that Dave has epilepsy.
"It's mostly controlled with a daily pill that is pretty affordable," said Jamie Gibson, Director of LifeSaving Initiatives at ADL. "Occasionally, he will have a seizure and just needs to rest after coming out of it."
ADL keeps his kennel lined with soft beds and they are careful to not have anything that Dave could hurt himself on inside of it, just in case he has one at night. We are betting that living his life in a kennel makes having seizures ten times scarier for him that they would be inside a home of his very own.
Shelter staff believe he would do best in a home with either older kids or older people. Seizures can be scary to witness, so a home with young kids is not advised.
Dave has been waiting five years for someone to love | Forgotten Friends
"He's not an active or high-energy dog at all and would prefer to be able to just hang out in the air conditioning, sunbathe in a back yard and then go back into the air conditioning again," said Jamie. "He's definitely a work smart, not hard kind of dog and is all about exerting the least amount of energy possible whenever he can."
Dave weighs about 65 pounds and the shelter staff believes he could stand to lose a few pounds. Couldn't we all? He might be chunky because he is a favorite among staff members, who bring him puppucinos and sometimes even take him to McDonald's for a well-deserved treat. He is current on his vaccinations and neutered.
And Dave gets along pretty well with other dogs.
"One of his favorite things in his younger days was mud wrestling with a doggy playmate but now that he's matured a bit, he actually prefers to just co-exist with other dogs," said Jamie. "Someone who wants to take naps and sunbathe with him would be great. He's not up to too many shenanigans anymore and would rather just have a chill buddy."
Dave has never lived with cats, that we know of, but ADL staff say that one of their grounds cats smacked him real hard in the face and he got very, very sad and went and hid. So, that being said, he might do okay with a kitty friend if they are dog savvy.
Basically Dave is just a giant squish, a bit on the goofy side. He loves laying on his big comfy dog bed, wagging his tail and waiting for his nightly Kong.
"He is the politest boy and waits his turn with just a wag of his tail and a happy smile," said Jamie. "He is very routine motivated too, and will give a sweet little awooo as a gentle reminder when we are running behind on passing out the kongs."
He walks well on a leash and will let you know when he feels it's time to go back home by turning right around and heading back towards the air conditioning.
Dave likes toys and is very gentle with them.
"He's a sweet dog who has been here way too long mostly because of a medical condition that is beyond his control...and one that can be managed in a home," said Jamie.
Because Dave has been at the shelter for so many years, there is NO fee to adopt him.
Dave is what the ADL calls a Diamond in the Ruff. Any pet that has been available for adoption at the Animal Defense League for four months or longer qualifies. That means ZERO adoption fees so you can spend more on toys, beds, and treats to spoil them in their new home!
If you want to help ADL rescue and treat more pets in need, they will ask for a monetary donation in lieu of the adoption fee for these pets. Every bit you donate contributes to saving the next life of the abandoned, abused, or neglected pets in our community that we see on a daily basis.
You can fill out your adoption application by CLICKING HERE.
For whoever adopts Dave, Lucy's Doggy Daycare & Spa will be lending a paw by offering them a free "Glow Up" Day at the Spa, which includes a massage therapy bath and Pawdicure. One of Lucy's most cherished core values is to continue Lucy’s legacy of giving back to pups in need, as Lucy herself was a rescue!
Maybe you're not quite ready to adopt a dog, but still want to help out. Why not try fostering a dog. ADL will provide all of the food and supplies that you will need, and even take care of all of the medical. It's a win-win situation for both you and the dog or cat. They get a loving home and it doesn't cost you a dime. CLICK HERE to become a pet foster parent.
Do you love animals and want to make a difference by volunteering? The Animal Defense League is always in need of volunteers in various areas. There is sure to be something for everyone! CLICK HERE
Want to help but don't have the time to volunteer or foster? Consider sponsoring a pet. This program allows you to assist ADL with their expenses in getting the pet adoption ready as each pet on average costs about $272. CLICK HERE to sponsor an animal.
The ADL also hosts bi-weekly free pet vaccination and microchip events for pet owners. Find out more about them by CLICKING HERE.
Here are some other ways you can help out the pets at ADL:
ADL tells us that what they need most, besides fosters and adpters, is soft dog treats, XL Kongs and pate wet dog food.
Hours of Operation:
- Nacogdoches Campus
11300 Nacogdoches Rd.,
San Antonio, TX 78217
Open Daily from 11am to 7pm - PAUL JOLLY CAMPUS
210 Tuleta Dr,
San Antonio, TX 78212
Open Daily from 11am to 7pm - PETSMART EVERYDAY ADOPTION CENTER
8520 Fourwinds Dr,
San Antonio, TX 78239
Open Daily from 12pm to 7pm
You can contact ADL at https://adltexas.org/contact-us/.
Remember when you adopt a shelter pet, you save two lives... the one you bring home with you and the one that now will be saved because the shelter has more room.
If you know of a Forgotten Friend that has been overlooked and is still looking for a "furr-ever" home, contact Andrea at acarden@kens5.com.